World News Briefs -- April 28, 2022 (Evening Edition)

Putin fired the missiles at Kyiv during the meeting between the Ukrainian president and the UN Secretary-General  

Daily Mail: Putin thumbs his nose at the world again: New Russian missile strikes hit Kyiv DURING UN Secretary-General's visit to the Ukrainian capital - killing at least one and injuring more just two days after he sat down for talks in Moscow with despot 

* Russian missiles bombarded Kyiv during the visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres this evening 

* The missile strike came barely an hour after President Zelenskyy had held a news conference with Guterres 

* The UN Secretary-General trip to Kyiv came two days after he was in Moscow to sit at Putin's long table 

* It is the first such bombardment of Ukraine's capital since mid-April and at least one person killed in the attack 

Vladimir Putin has launched a new double missile attack at Kyiv during the visit of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres just two days after he sat down with the Russian dictator in Moscow. 

At least one person was killed and several injured, including some who were trapped beneath the rubble in the western part of the city centre, according to rescue officials. 

The bombardment came barely an hour after President Zelenskyy held a news conference with the UN Secretary-General, who said Ukraine has become 'an epicentre of unbearable heartache and pain.'  

Read more .... 

MIDDLE EAST 

Turkey’s military operation causes controversy, division in Iraq. 

Erdogan meets Saudi crown prince on first visit since Khashoggi's killing. 

Israeli air raids in Syria kills nine: War monitor. 

Israel launches deadly air strikes on ammunition depot, targets in Syria. 

Sirens bring Israel to a standstill to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day. 

Death threat in envelope containing a bullet sent to Israel PM's eldest son. 

Iran executions: Alarming rise in use of death penalty in 2021 - report. 

Yemen: Saudi Arabia to release 163 Houthi prisoners. 

ASIA 

COVID-hit Beijing keeps up guard to avoid Shanghai-like misery. 

Beijing locals buy fridges, stockpile food after Shanghai residents warn COVID outbreak will 'get serious'. 

China slams US and UK over Taiwan. 

Leaked documents reveal Chinese company's aviation plans for Solomon Islands to become a 'regional hub'. 

Japan edges from pacifism to more robust defense stance. 

South Korea arrests businessman, army captain on spying charges. 

Heatwave in India leaves millions struggling to cope. 

Extreme heatwave in India and Pakistan causes power and water shortages. 

 AFRICA 

Sudan: West Darfur clashes leave 200 dead. 

Mali's military junta accuses France of spying after video emerges of mass grave. 

French army rejects Mali's accusations of espionage, violation of airspace. 

War in Ukraine is compounding Africa's food crisis. 

Ukraine war fallout could fuel unrest in Africa - IMF. 

 Burkina Faso junta defends three-year plan for transition to constitutional rule. 

Algeria threatens to cut gas contract with Spain. 

Central African Republic adopts bitcoin as an official currency, a first in Africa. 

EUROPE 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited to 2022 G20 summit. 

Russia's Gazprom halts gas supplies to Poland, Bulgaria. 

European Union accuses Russia of using gas to blackmail member nations as Poland says they don't need Russian gas. 

Putin gas cutoff shakes up Europe at little cost to Kremlin. 

Germany top buyer of Russian energy since Ukraine invasion began: report. 

German inflation hits 4-decade high for single month. 

Swedish PM rejects referendum on possible NATO membership.  

Croatia backtracks on Finnish and Swedish NATO membership comments. 

EU triggers rule of law procedure against Hungary. 

EU estimates up to 80% of population has had COVID. 

AMERICAS 

America is 'OUT of the pandemic phase': Fauci confirms Covid-19 infections are 'at a low level' but people should still get 'intermittently' vaccinated. 

US economy shrinks, threats loom, but growth likely to last. 

Hillary Clinton says Madeleine Albright had 'blunt warnings' about fascism and authoritarianism and references January 6 and Putin at her funeral alongside Biden, the Obamas, the Clintons and the DC elite. 

British Virgin Islands premier arrested on cocaine charges in US sting operation. 

Brazil: UN claims corruption probe violated ex-president Lula's rights. 

8 dead, 11 injured in fighting at Mexican cement plant. 

Latin American nations ease restrictions as COVID cases drop. 

Haiti’s deadly gang violence spikes, families caught in crossfire. 

Colombia conflict: Soldiers passed off killed civilians as rebels. 

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR 

Several killed in suspected ISIL attack on northeast Syria iftar. 

 Islamic State claims deadly bomb blasts on minibuses in Afghan city. 

Guantanamo court weighs testimony from alternative suspect in USS Cole case. 

Pakistan: Woman suicide bomber change in Baloch rebels’ strategy? 

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS 

How major US stock indexes fared Thursday. 

Stocks rally on Wall Street as technology giants rebound. 

Possibility of ‘large’ economic shocks in future, Yellen warns. 

Oil spikes after EU says Russian embargo 'imminent' as Germany drops opposition. 

'Extremely' rare 15-carat blue diamond sells at auction for almost $60 million.

Germany Drops Opposition To An Embargo Of Russian Oil, , Paving The Way For The EU Tto Impose A Full Embargo

The PCK oil refinery in Schwedt, Germany, shown in 2014, is operated by Russian oil company Rosneft. (Reuters/Axel Schmidt / Reuters)  

FOX News: Germany drops opposition to Russia oil embargo: report 

Move clears way for potential full European Union embargo on Russian oil 

The reversal from Germany – which had been one of the main opponents of the EU severing its oil and gas trade with Russia – comes after Berlin struck a deal with Poland to import oil by way of one of its Baltic Sea ports, The Wall Street Journal reports. 

On Wednesday, Germany’s representatives to the EU lifted its objection to a Russian oil embargo pending the country has enough time to find alternative supplies, according to two German government officials who spoke to the newspaper.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Germany Ready to Back EU Ban on Russian Oil If It’s Gradual (Bloomberg)  

Update #2: Germany says it's ready to stop buying Russian oil, paving the way for the EU to impose a full embargo (Business Insider)  

WNU Editor: Germany has already changed (at higher cost) most of its sources for oil. The impact of this oil embargo will be minimal for Russia.

Pentagon Official Issues Warning On The U.S. Air Force's A-10 Fleet

Airman 1st Class Joshua Kleinholz  

Defense News: A-10 official issues warning over US Air Force’s ‘devastated’ Warthog fleet 

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Air Force official managing the A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft says the service is “hollowing” its Warthog fleet by starving it of resources amid a push to retire the aging attack plane — but still continuing to heavily fly it. 

In a March 31 briefing, Pamela Lee, the A-10 systems manager at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, said the Air Force has “resourced the A-10 to divest yet flew it like an enduring fleet, rapidly accelerating [the] decline toward today’s hollowing fleet.” 

The watchdog group Project on Government Oversight posted the slides Tuesday. The Air Force confirmed the slides are authentic, but said they were prepared for internal discussion and that Lee declined to comment.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The A-10 has been on the chopping block for years. But it looks like this time it is going to happen.

Moscow Warns NATO Countries That Provide Arms To Ukraine They Will Face 'Retaliatory Strikes' From Russian Forces If They Continue

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova © Mikhail Metzel/TASS 

 Daily Mail: Moscow says it CAN attack military sites in NATO countries who support Ukraine and provide arms and may target diplomats in Kyiv with 'retaliatory strikes' 

* The Kremlin warned it could strike NATO sites in countries like the US and UK over their support of Ukraine 

* The escalation comes as Russia agitates over the West arming Ukrainian forces in their resistance of Putin 

* Russia's defense ministry made the remark after a UK minister backed Ukrainian air strikes on Russia 

* It comes as US Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin on Monday said he wanted to see Russia 'weakened' to prevent further invasions in the future 

* The US last week also announced a multi-billion dollar financial and military aid package for Ukraine 

The Kremlin has warned it could target military sites in NATO countries which are supporting Ukraine amid Russia's invasion. 

Maria Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, suggested that strikes could be authorized against NATO states who provide arms to Ukraine. 

She warned: 'Do we understand correctly that for the sake of disrupting the logistics of military supplies, Russia can strike military targets on the territory of those NATO countries that supply arms to the Kyiv regime?  

Read more ....  

Update: Ukraine war: Russia warns UK it could launch military strikes on British soil (Yahoo News)  

WNU Editor: No one is interested in de-escalating the crisis. No one.

NATO Says It Is Ready To Support Ukraine for Years In Its War Against Russia

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg holds a news conference in Brussels  

Reuters: NATO says it's ready to back Kyiv for years in war against Russia 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -NATO is ready to maintain its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia for years, including help for Kyiv to shift from Soviet-era weapons to modern Western arms and systems, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday. 

He spoke after the Kremlin warned that Western arms supplies to Ukraine, including heavy weapons, posed a threat to the security of the European continent "and provoke instability". 

"We need to be prepared for the long term," Stoltenberg told a youth summit in Brussels. "There is absolutely the possibility that this war will drag on and last for months and years." 

The NATO chief said the West would continue to put maximum pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special military operation", through sanctions and economic as well as military aid to Kyiv.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The British Foreign Secretary is saying the same thing .... Ukraine war could last TEN years: Liz Truss predicts a 'long haul' and urges the West to increase its aid to push 'desperate rogue operator' Putin and his army out of the whole country (Daily Mail).

There are now others who are calling for NATO to get prepared for war against Russia .... Russia-Ukraine war latest: Former NATO commander warns that West must gear up for war (Yahoo News).

Russia's Natural Gas Company Gazprom Is Awash In Cash Since The Start Of The Ukraine Invasion

The Guardian: Russia doubles fossil fuel revenues since invasion of Ukraine began 

Country receives about €62bn from exports of oil, gas and coal in two months, with Germany the biggest importer Russia has nearly doubled its revenues from selling fossil fuels to the EU during the two months of war in Ukraine, benefiting from soaring prices even as volumes have been reduced. 

Russia has received about €62bn from exports of oil, gas and coal in the two months since the invasion began, according to an analysis of shipping movements and cargos by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. 

 For the EU, imports were about €44bn for the past two months, compared with about €140bn for the whole of last year, or roughly €12bn a month.  

Read more ....  

Update: Russian Fossil Fuel Revenues Double Despite Western Sanctions (Zero Hedge)  

WNU Editor: Gazprom has already surpassed last year's earnings .... Gazprom’s 2021 Annual Earnings Hit Record on Gas Price Rally (Bloomberg). More evidence that U.S. and EU sanctions are not working as originally promised by their leaders.

US GDP Declines 1.4% In The First Quarter Of 2022

 

Daily Mail: Biden blames 'technical factors', Putin, COVID-19, and 'global inflation' for US GDP SHRINKING by 1.4% for the first time since the pandemic - but insists the economy is still 'resilient' 

* Biden blamed 'technical factors' and other global issues for shrinking economy 

* Real GDP shrank at a 1.4% annual rate for the first quarter of 2022 

* It is the first time the US economy has contracted since the pandemic struck 

* A widening trade deficit weighed on growth, with exports shrinking 

* The surprise reversal followed a year of the fastest growth since 1984 

* Still, consumer and business spending remains strong and job market is robust 

* An imminent recession seems unlikely, though concerns are mounting 

President Joe Biden has blamed 'technical factors' after the U.S. economy shrank last quarter for the first time since the pandemic recession struck two years ago, marking an abrupt reversal from a period of roaring growth. 

Gross domestic product - the nation's total output of goods and services - fell at a 1.4 percent annualized rate in the first quarter of this year, the Commerce Department said in its advance GDP estimate on Thursday. 

In a statement responding to the concerning new data, Biden insisted that the US economy 'continues to be resilient in the face of historic challenges.'  

Read more ...  

WNU editor: The US government and media narrative is that everything is alright (see above video). But everything is not alright. When you factor in real inflation (15% vs 8.5%), this GDP drop is far worse than the 1.4% that they are reporting.

 US GDP Declines 1.4% In The First Quarter Of 2022

US economy shrank by 1.4% in Q1 but consumers kept spending -- AP  

U.S. GDP fell at a 1.4% pace to start the year as pandemic recovery takes a hit -- CNBC  

Omicron, trade weigh on U.S. economy in first quarter -- Reuters  

US Economy Shrinks 1.4% in Last Three Months -- VOA  

US economy saw ‘unexpectedly severe’ drop in first three months of year -- The Guardian  

US economy shrank 1.4% at beginning of 2022, marking worst quarter in 2 years -- FOX News  

The US economy shrank in the first quarter -- CNN

President Biden Asks Congress For An Additional $33 Billion In Aid To Ukraine Since All Previous Money Allocated For Ukraine Has Already Been Spent

 

Daily Mail: Biden asks Congress for $33 BILLION in military, economic and humanitarian aid - including drinking water and wheat - to help Ukraine fight Russia for the next five months 

* Biden is asking Congress for an additional $33 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for the Ukraine 

* 'Basically we're out of money,' he said in remarks at the White House 

* 'The president's funding request is what we believe it needed to enable Ukraine success over the next five months of this war,' senior administration official said 

* The money includes $20.4 billion in additional security and military assistance, $8.5 billion in economic assistance, and $3 billion in humanitarian assistance 

* Biden also wants to sell the luxury yachts and opulent apartments the U.S. government has seized from Russian oligarchs 

* Money would be sent to Ukraine to help them fight off Russian forces 

* Biden asked Congress for the authority to make such a move 

* More than a dozen yachts, worth approximately $2.5 billion, have been seized in several countries worldwide 

President Joe Biden on Thursday asked Congress for an additional $33 billion in military and humanitarian assistance for the Ukraine, which officials say could fund the war there for the next five months. 

He said the previous money allocated for the Ukrainians has been spent. 

'Basically we're out of money,' he said in remarks at the White House.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: This request is to fund the Ukraine war effort until September, and I would not be surprised if the hundreds of billions in Russian assets that the White House has seized will be the monies used in this budget request. Cannot say that I am surprised. The situation in Ukraine is dire, and the Ukrainian military situation is getting worse. 

Russia's news media has reacted .... Biden seeks $33 billion more for Ukraine (RT). More here .... Biden wants new powers to seize Russian assets (RT). 

No comment so far from the Kremlin. 

What I find very disturbing is on what I am seeing and hearing on Russian social media. The Russian public is seeing this $33 billion US commitment as another sign that the US is in an undeclared war against Russia, and many are demanding an escalation of the war effort in Ukraine and to cut all ties with the West that will also include gas exports.

President Biden Asks Congress For An Additional $33 Billion In Aid To Ukraine  

Biden seeks $33 billion for Ukraine, a massive jump in funding -- Reuters  

Biden wants another $33B to help Ukraine battle Russia -- AP  

Biden to ask Congress for $33 billion to support Ukraine through September -- CNBC  

White House sends Congress $33B request for Ukraine -- Politico  

Biden to request $33B from Congress for Ukraine emergency supplemental funding -- FOX News  

Biden asks Congress for $33 billion in aid to Ukraine as war enters new phase -- CNN  

Biden announces $33bn to help Ukraine in war -- BBC  

Biden to ask for additional $33 billion to support Ukraine’s defence and humanitarian needs -- The Independent  

Biden asks Congress to approve another $20bn in Ukraine military aid -- The Guardian  

Biden sends Congress $33 billion request for Ukraine aid -- Axios

Will Russia Be Able To Fight Another War After Ukraine?

A soldier takes a photograph of his comrade as he poses beside a destroyed Russian tank and armored vehicles, in Bucha, Kyiv region, Ukraine April 2. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra  

Newsweek: Russia Unable To Fight Another War After Catastrophic Military Losses 

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the U.S. wanted to see Russia so "weakened" that it won't be able to support another war like the one it initiated in Ukraine. 

Now, analysts suggest Moscow might have already reached that point. 

In an article published on Wednesday, analysts told The Times they believe Russia already burned through so much of its military strength in the past two months of war that it could be "years" before the Kremlin is able to order another such invasion of a neighboring country.  

Read more .....  

WNU Editor: Too early to say what will be the outcome of the Russia - Ukraine war, and how this will impact the Russian military to fight future conflicts. But what I do know is that it was only last month that the media narrative was saying the Russian war machine was going to run dry in three days .... Russian invaders have three days of supplies left, says Ukraine military (The Guardian). 

Clearly that has not happened. 

I am not there, but I would not be surprised if every Russian military manufacturer and supplier has been working 24/7 since the start of the war to make-up for losses and expenditure of war material in Ukraine. International sanctions since 2014 have forced the Russian war machine to become independent when it comes to military procurement and production, and they are showing their capability as the Ukraine war grinds on. 

As for fighting another war in the future? 

I have no doubts that the Kremlin will find a way to make sure that the Russian military will be positioned to do so after the current conflict is over. That is why we are seeing Russia's NATO neighbors raising the alarm that they need more help and assistance to protect their borders, and why countries like Sweden and Finland have expressed an interest to join NATO as quickly as possible.

Ukraine Admits That That Russia’s Offensive In The East Is Advancing As Moscow’s Forces Try To Surround Ukrainian Troops

Kyiv Post: Ukraine admits troops forced back in Kharkiv and Donbas sectors in fierce fighting, heavy RF losses claimed 

Ukraine’s Army General Staff (AGS) on 27 April admitted its troops had been forced back at some locations in the Kharkiv and Donbas sectors but claimed overall Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) units were holding and inflicting heavy casualties on Russian forces. 

The 06:00 AGS morning sitrep said Russian Federation (RF) units had fought their way into the northern outskirts of the village Velika Kamyshevakha, between the cities Izium and Kharkiv. The statement said RF units also captured the village Zarechne, near the town Liman. 

RF state-controlled media showed RF troops walking freely around an ammunition depot reportedly in the vicinity, and inspecting foreign-manufactured anti-tank missiles allegedly abandoned by UAF forces. RF units also captured the village Zavody, in the Kharkiv sector, the AGS statement said.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The Ukraine military is stating the obvious. They are losing ground in the east, and they are using the AP to post the news. 

Ukraine Admits That That Russia’s Offensive In The East Is Gaining Ground 

Ukraine says Russian offensive in east gathering momentum -- AP  

Kremlin attacks grind forward in Donbas, fight on for Severny Donets river crossings -- Kyiv Post  

Russian forces capture villages in push into eastern Ukraine -- The Guardian 

Russia hits rail and fuel targets far from the eastern front -- CP24  

Russia concentrating forces in Izium to strike Donbas: Kyiv -- EFE  

Heavy fighting in Donbas along most of the line of contact as Russians attempt to take ground -- The New Voice of Ukraine  

Assault on eastern Ukraine slowed because ‘Russians don’t like fighting in the rain’ -- The Independent 

The Kremlin has plans for occupied territories of Donbas, and has appointed a new "curator" - the media -- Ukrayinska Pravda  

Ukraine war: 'There's no way back for us,' says military medic as village in Donbas region evacuated -- SKY News